title: Stretchable ferroelectric nanoribbons with wavy configurations on elastomeric substrates.
abstract: Applications of ferroelectric ceramics, ranging from components for sensors, memory devices, microelectromechanical systems, and energy convertors, all involve planar and rigid layouts. The brittle nature of such materials and their high-temperature processing requirements limit applications to devices that involve only very small mechanical deformations and narrow classes of substrates. Here, we report a strategy for integrating nanoribbons of one of the most widely used ferroelectric ceramics, lead zirconate titanate, in "wavy" geometries, on soft, elastomeric supports to achieve reversible, linear elastic responses to large strain deformations (i.e., stretchable properties), without any loss in ferroelectric or piezoelectric properties. Theoretical and computational analysis of the mechanics account for these characteristics and also show that the amplitudes of the waves can be continuously tuned with an applied electric field, to achieve a vertical (normal) displacement range that is near 1000 times larger than is possible in conventional planar layouts. The results suggest new design and application possibilities in piezoelectric devices.
authors.affiliation: AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Byung Duk
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yuanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dagdeviren
authors.forename: Zhuangjian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Jiangyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rogers